flint



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. SQPLINT.

OAR FENDER.

No. 555,083. Y PatentedPeb. 25, 1896.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.' R. s. FLINT.

(No Model.)

GAR FENDER.

No. 555,083. Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

.FHOTOUTNaWASNINGTDKDL,

3 Sheets-Sheet 3. R. S. FLINT. CAR FENDER.

(No Model.)

1%. 555,083. Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

MJMUTOMTHO WASHIN'STDPLDC.

llnirnn STATES PATENT rrrcn.

ROBERT S. FLINT, OF TROY, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF NINE-TlVENTIETIlS TO T.HENRY DUTCHER, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,083, dated February25, 1896.

Application filed April 18, 1895. Serial No. 546,219. (No model) To aZZwhom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT S. FLINT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Fenders, of whichthe fol lowing is a specification.

The invention relates to such improvements; and it consists of the novelconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter described andsubsequently claimed. Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings,and the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a view in side elevation of a portion of acar provided with my improved fender, showing the movable frame in arearward position beneath the carplatform. Fig. is a similar viewshowing the frame in a forward position in advance of the car-platform.Fig. 3 is an inner side elevation of a portion of the dashboard, showingthe hook for locking the detent mechanism. Fig. at is a top plan view ofthe forward end of the car with the fender in the position shown in Fig.2. Fig. 5 is a crosssection of the front portion of the fender-frame,taken on the broken line 5 5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a cross-section of thefender-operating shaft, showing the ratchet, detent, and releasemechanism in elevation. Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the ratchetmechanism for operating the shaft. Fig. Sis a front elevation of aportion of the dashboard and the upper end of the shaft-operatinglever-handle shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a vertical section of thedashboard, taken on the broken line 9 0 in Fig. 4, showing one of thesupports for the tripping-frame in elevation.

A is the car-bodyhaving the dashboard A, and supported upon the truck 13mounted upon wheels 13 in the usual manner.

O is a fenderframe movable longitudinally of the car upon a slidewayformed by the ro ls 0 supported on opposite sides of the car by hangersO depending from the truckframe. The fender-frame is preferably composedof a piece of steel bent to the required form and provided with a meshedwire-netting C The inner end of each side bar of the frame terminates inan eye 0*, which loosely incloses the respective slideway-rod O, and theslideway-rod terminates at its outer end in an eye 0 which looselyinoloses the respective side bar of the fender-frame.

D is a fender-operating shaft supported in hangers D depending from thecar-body. The shaft is provided with a pulley or drum D fixed thereon. Acable D passing around the drum with one or more turns and around aguide-pulley D is secured at one end to the rear end of thefender-frame, as at O and at the other end to the middle part of theframe, as at 0 Another cable, D, is secured at one end to the shaft Dand wound thereon by a few turns, the other endof the cable beingsecured to the forward end of coil-sprin g D The rear end of this springis connected with the brake-actuating lever F, and the lever isconnected by another spring, D with some fixed support, as the bottom ofthe car at D.

The actuating-lever is an arm projecting from the rock-shaft F extendingcrosswise of the car and having end hearings in the side bars of thetruck. The rook-shaft has at each end an arm F connected by link F withthe forward end of the brake-supportin g lever F pivoted at its rear endupon the truck, as at F. The forward end of this supporting-lever isprovided with a brake-shoe F adapted to engage with the neighboringwheel and perform the function of a brake.

The actuating-lever F is connected by link F with the slide-valve H ofthe sand-box H. The sand-box, which may be of any known form, is securedto the bottom of the car in position to deliver sand through theoutlettube 11 upon the track-rail R in the usual manner.

It is obvious that if the cable-shaft is rotated in a direction to windthe cable upon it the springs will be distended, the sand-box valveforced inward, which movement closes it, and the brake-shoe thrown outof engagement with the wheel. At the same time the frame-cable will beactuated by the shaftdrum to force the frame from the position shown inFig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1. The frame is held in the position shownin Fig. 1,

against the force of the springs, by the detent J engage-able with theteeth of the ratchetwheel J fixed upon the shaft D.

If the ratchet-wheel and shaft are released from the control of thedetent, the springs instantly force the movable frame forward intoposition for use, and simultaneously operate the brake and sand-box, asseen in Fig. 2.

As a means for releasing the ratchet from the detent, I pivotallyconnect the heel of the detent-latch with one link, J of a togglejoint,and connectthe other link, J of the joint with a fixed support Jpreferably located near the head of the latch, as shown.

The joint-pivot J is pivotally connected with the olfset J 6 on thescrew-threaded nut J The nut fits and is screwed onto the lower threadedend of the rod K, which forms a joint-operating lever adapted to begiven a rotary and a slide movement in the bearings K, secured to thedashboard of the car-platform.

The lever K extends upward from the nut J to the top of the dashboard,where it is provided with an operating-handle K by which the joint canbe forced open to the position shown in Fig. 6, and secured in suchposition by swinging the handle-arm around beneath the hook or stop K onthe dashboard.

To release the ratchet from the d etent-lateh it is only necessary toswing the handle-arm out from beneath the stop and raise the lever toclose the toggle-joint and allow the head of the detent-latch to moveback out of the path of the ratchet-teeth.

'hen desired, a lifting-spring of coiled wire, K, may be made to liftthe lever and close the joint when the handle-arm is swung out frombeneath its controlling-stop. The spring incloses the rod K projectingdownwardly from the offset K in the lever, and passes through anaperture in the bracket K secured to the dashboard, as by bolt K Thelower end of the spring bears upon the bracket and its upper end uponthe offset K As a means for automatically releasing the lever from itsstop and operating the joint to release the ratchet from its detent, Iprovide a trippingframe P, which covers the front of the dashboard andprojects below it, as shown.

The tripping-frame is supported 011 one side or edge by the lever K,which is bent at its upper and lower portions to provide the offsets Kand K the frame being secured to the straight portion of the leverconnecting the upper and lower offsets by the clips P. The other side oredge of the tripping-frame is secured to a swinging support P as shownin Fig. 9. The support has a swinging and sliding movement in itsbearings P and is provided with a lifting-spring P The offsets P arepreferably of the same length as the similar offsets in thejoint-operating lever, and the tripping-frame is secured to the supportby the clips P lVhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1,being locked therein by the detent and controlling-joint, the offsets Pand K project from the front of the dashboard at an angle ofapproximately forty-five degrees, as seen in Fig. 4:. If, therefore, anyobstruction is encountered in the path of the moving car, it is firstengaged by the trippingframe, which is forced backward against or incloser proximity to the car, as to the position indicated by dottedlines in Fig. l, thereby imparting a rotary movement to the jointoperating lever and forcing the handle-arm out from engagement withits controllingstop, whereupon the springs lift the trippingframe andlever, closing the j ointand releasin g the ratchet from the detent.

As a means for rotating the cable-shaft against the force of the springsto bring the parts into position shown in Fig. 1, I provide a secondratchet, S, upon the cable-shaft, and a pawl S pivoted upon anactuating-lever S which lever is pivoted upon the shaft, which can beoperated in the usual manner to wind up the cable upon the shaft. Thelever passes up through an elongated aperture T in the carplatform.

As a means for throwing the pawl out of engagement with the ratchetafter the cable is wound sufficiently, and so that the shaft may beunder the control of the detent J only, I provide a short hand-lever Spivoted at S upon the main lever and pivotally connect the hand-lever atS with the upper end of push-rod S the lower end of the rod passingthrough an aperture in the tail end of the pawl. The lower part of therod is provided with two stops S and S. The stop S engages the upperside of the pawl to force the tail downward and the head out ofengagement with the ratchet-teeth. The stop S at the extreme end of therod engages the lower end of the coil-spring S while the upper end ofthe spring engages the lower side of the pawl to force the head of thepawl into engagement with the teeth.

hen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 7, if the link S pivotedto the dashboard is swung over the upper end of both levers, as shown,the parts will be locked in such position, and the fender mechanismcannot be operated by releasing the other ratchet from the detent J. Byswinging the upper end of the short lever down below its fulcrum, asindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 7, the pawl will be forced out ofengagement with the ratchet and the detent J will not be under itscontrol. \Vhen desired, the pawl and its actuating mechanism can beapplied to the detent-ratchet, thereby dispensing with the necessity ofa second ratchet.

The movable fender-frame may be provided with any known form of apron,as the wirenetting shown. \Vhen desired, the forward edge of the framemay be provided wi h a series of yielding guard-posts N in the form ofangle-pieces, pivoted in the angle, as at N, upon the frame, with theshort leg N of the post resting upon the frame when the longer legstands vertically, as seen in Fig. 5. The longer leg or main part of thepost is adapted to be oscillated over the path indicated by the curvedbroken line and is normally maintained in the vertical position by thespring N one end of which bears upon the lower side of the frame and theother end upon the upper side of the short leg.

Should the fender-frame while in use come into engagement with an objectprostrate on the car-track, the posts engaged will yield to allow theobject to pass over onto the apron and afterward assume an uprightposition to prevent the object from falling off the apron when the caris quickly stopped.

I also provide guide-rails for the sides of the movable fender-frame,consisting of the rods N, one on each side of the frame. Each rod ispivotally connected at its ends with the side bars of the frame by oneof the links N The normal position of the rods when not in use is uponthe frame, as shown in Fig. 1, in which position they are retained bythe springs 3' but when the fender-frame is thrust forward to theposition shown in Fig. 2, ready for use, the rear connecting-links Nengage the eye on the frame-slideway and are forced into an uprightposition, as shown, which lifts the rods, thereby forming an effectualguiderail to prevent an object on the fender-apron from being throwntherefrom.

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car-fender, the combination with a movable fender-frame andoperative mechanism for imparting to the frame a forward movement, of avalved sand-box, a wheelbrake, and operating connections between thefender-frame, sand-box valve and brake, whereby all are simultaneouslyoperated by the frame-operating mechanism, substantially as described.

2. In a car-fender, the combination with a supporting-slideway, andfender-frame movable on the slideway, of a pair of side rails, pivotallink connections between the side rails and frame, and mechanism wherebythe rails are elevated and depressed by the respective forward andrearward movements of the fender-frame, substantially as described.

3. In a car-fender, the combination with the car-body and truck, of aslideway fixed upon the truck, a fender-frame movable on the slideway, ashaft supported in bearings on the car-body; oppositely-wound cable connections between the fender-frame and shaft, whereby the frame can bemoved forward and back by the opposite rotary movements of the shaft; aspring for rotating the shaft in one direction; pawl-and-ratchetmechanism for rotating the shaft in the opposite direc-' tion; a detentand releasing mechanism, substantially as described.

4. In a car-fender, the combination with a movable fender-frame; andoperating mechanism for imparting to the frame a forward movement, apawl-and-ratchet detent for supporting the frame in a rearward position;a tripping-frame supported vertically in front of the car-body; pivotallink connections be-' tween the trippingframe and car-body, whereby saidframe is movable toward and from the car-body while maintained inparallel planes; and releasing mechanism interposed between thetripping-frame and detent, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the spring-actuated shaft; and ratchet fixedthereon; of a detent-latch engageable with the ratchet; a toggleconnection between the heel of the latch and a fixed support; and meansfor operating the toggle connection, whereby the latch yields in alongitudinal direction and releases the ratchet, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a car-fender, the combination with the spring-actuated shaft andratchet fixed thereon; of a detent-latch engageable with the ratchet; atoggle connection between the heel of the latch and a fixed support; ajoint-actuating lever; a stop for holding the lever in position tomaintain the joint open; an actuating-spring for operating the lever toclose the joint; and a tripping-frame for releasing the lever from itscontrolling-stop, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of April,1895.

R. S. FLINT. Witnesses GEO. A. MosHER, FRANK O. CURTIS.

